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Re: Taxicab meters
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Just can't stay away
 
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Taxi regulations in JC are pretty straight-forward. You may be able to get a few copies of the wallet-sized card that was created a few years ago by calling the JC Div of Commerce 201-457-5335. Ask for the yellow and black Taxi Riders Bill of Rights card. On the other side of the card are the Senior Discount Fare Rules.
Getting your driver to honor the rules requires that you have some well-informed backbone of your own by refusing to allow a driver or dispatcher to tell you different. Since this forum does not allow uploads, I can\'t post a photo of the card but here the Bill of Rights 1) The meter must be used on all fares within the city limits. If not, THE RIDE IS FREE! 2) The meter is not to be used on fares outside the city limits but the fare must be agreed upon by the passenger PRIOR to the start of the trip. 3) The fare that you pay on all trips is the total that you pay, regardless of the number of passengers. There is no additional charge for baggage. 4) As a passenger you have the right to: - a courteous driver - a clean passenger seat area - a clean trunk for storage or baggage or packages - a driver who obeys all traffic laws - a radio-free trip - the most direct route to your destination - refuse any additional passengers to ride in the cab aand - a smoke free ride unless both you and the driver agree to permit smoking. The senior fares rules (simplified here): Monday to Friday (EXCEPT THERE IS NO DISCOUNT during weekday rush hours from 7am to 9am and 4pm to 7pm) Saturday and Sunday - discount all day and night. The senior (age 62 and over) discount fare is: If the meter reads: $4.00 or less, the fare is $2.00 Over $4.00, the fare is 1/2 the meter Thus, if the meter reads $6.20, the fare for one or more seniors in that cab and on that trip totals $3.10 cents If there are any passengers on the trip who not seniors, there is no discount. If all the passengers are seniors, the discount applies. END of Jersey City Taxi Riders Bill of rights card So, it should be obvious that the following also applies. If the cab has a meter and your destination is in JC, just get in the cab and tell the driver your destination. There is no need for negotiation or discussion about the fare or the willingness of the driver to go there. He (or she - there are a few women taxi drivers) cannot refuse to take you to any JC destination on the meter and by the shortest route. If the driver tries to overcharge you, or otherwise not follow those rules, write down his taxi number or the license plate and report him with a phone call to the above phone number. They actually will go after the driver. I\'ve seen drivers forced to go back to the passenger\'s home and return an overcharge or apologize for rudeness. Of course there are times when you just have to cut the carp and stand up for yourself. I had a driver try to refuse me the senior discount one night around midnight. His excuse was, \"An old man like you should not be out so late. You should be home.\" There were some clues that he was from Africa so I told him, \"If you dared speak to one of the elders of your people back home like that, you would be tied to a tree for a lion to eat you.\" I dropped the discounted fare, no tip, onto the seat next to him and slipped out of the cab as he sat there speechless.
Posted on: 2008/1/27 17:40
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Newbie
 
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My boyfriend told me that he took a cab from the path in Hoboken up to our place in the heights and he paid the driver $7 (which is what we're always told is the fare up here). This time, however, the driver demanded another dollar because "fare prices are going up soon so you're going to need to get used to it." My boyfriend responded with "but they haven't gone up yet, have they? Why is it $8 now?" and the driver yelled "just give me $8! Fares will be going up soon! You might as well get used to it" My boyfriend just gave him the dollar to get out of there. It's not a big deal if the fares go up, but I'd like to know why that particular driver felt it was ok to tell him that since they're going up soon, he "might as well get used to it."
I really wish he would've gotten the car number and company name...
Posted on: 2008/1/27 0:10
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
 
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common practice or Illegal practice? can't be both now can it? It certainly can if you are talking about Hudson County.
Posted on: 2008/1/19 18:53
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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common practice or Illegal practice? can't be both now can it?
Posted on: 2008/1/18 17:38
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utterly deplorable
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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Of interest to people in the Heights
HACKS: HAIL NO! Drivers rage at 'greener' taxi rules Friday, January 18, 2008 By AMY SARA CLARK JOURNAL STAFF WRITER HOBOKEN - Hobokenites may soon be shelling out a dollar more for cab rides. The fare hike is part of a proposed ordinance that some City Council members say will make cabs safer, more plentiful and better for the environment. The council will discuss the proposal at a special meeting Wednesday and is expected to vote on final approval at its next regular meeting, on Feb. 6. Highlights include raising the fare from $4 to $5, adding more medallions, legalizing the common practice of drivers picking up more than one fare at a time, requiring more taxis to be "green," and clarifying exactly what "green" means. Councilwoman Terry La Bruno, who chairs the Parking and Transportation Subcommittee, said she thinks the changes strike a balance between the needs of drivers and riders. "We're doing our very best to help both sides," she said. But cab drivers crowded the City Council meeting last night to voice their dismay, saying there are already too many cabs. "Rush hour is not the norm," said driver Robert Dato. "These (cabbies) are on line for an hour waiting for a fare, that's the norm." The committee originally proposed adding 10 medallions to the current fleet of 58, but is expected to propose seven as a concession to drivers. But the decrease is not enough, drivers say. Yesenia Camilo, whose father drove a cab for 20 years, stressed that drivers are barely able to make ends meet as it is. She added that the city is selling medallions to close the budget gap but that the drivers shouldn't pay for that problem. The council is budgeting $1 million in revenue from the sale of additional medallions. The second concession is legalizing picking up more than one fare at once, but the ordinance will only allow this during rush hour, and only with the consent of the first passenger, who must be dropped off first. The proposal also aims to make cabs "greener" by requiring all new medallions to be for cars getting at least 25 miles per gallon in the city and get at least an eight on the EPA's "air pollution score." It also requires one-fifth of all cabs to be "green" within five years. The proposal also includes changes designed to make cabs safer. Most riders questioned seemed unconcerned about the fare hike. Allyson Dorf, 30, who works for a nonprofit and recently moved to Hoboken, said when she arrived she was surprised at how low taxi fares were. "I think that a dollar, it's fine," agreed Carlos Gonzalez, 43, an accountant who lives in Weehawken. "If you live in Hoboken, you can afford it." =========== Safety is the top concern Friday, January 18, 2008 HOBOKEN - Riders may notice the fare hike, and cabbies may be yelling most loudly about the additional medallions, but the proposal before the City Council to amend taxi and limousine ordinances also has a strong focus on improving safety. Parking and Transportation Subcommittee member Peter Cunningham says he gets complaints all the time about reckless cab drivers who come close to hitting pedestrians. The proposal raises the minimum age of drivers from 18 to 21, more than doubles the amount of liability insurance required, adds additional criminal background checks and drug and alcohol testing and lowers the number of points drivers can have on their licenses from eight to four. Drivers are particularly concerned about the change in points, and they let council members know it at Wednesday's City Council meeting. "One ticket is four points," said driver Rafael Hereia. "What are you going to do, stop driving?" Committee members Terry La Bruno and Dawn Zimmer said they would reconsider the point change. AMY SARA CLARK
Posted on: 2008/1/18 15:59
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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Quote:
I've had the same great luck with Budget Taxi, and since they have both cars with/without meters, if you tell the dispatcher you want a meter taxi he will oblige. If you want an upfront quote price to a destination the dispatcher will do that too. I've never waited more than 15 minutes for Budget. 
Posted on: 2007/11/10 19:17
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Just can't stay away
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If you take a cab in Jersey City that has a meter and they don't use it, you don't have to pay for your ride. Make sure you get the details of the cab (number, cab license, that sort of thing). When you get where you're going and they make up a number, just tell them you're not paying because they didn't run their meter and it's illegal and you have their information. They can't do anything about it.
I've done it twice when the price they told me when I reached my destination was more than double what I knew it should be. I don't make a fuss or care when the price is close to inline with what it should be, since I usually give them a good tip anyway. I also don't care if they make up a price when I call to get picked up from somewhere and the cab has a meter, since they had to come to where I was in the first place. I have very good luck with Budget Taxi, they are always there within 15 minutes of when I call in either Jersey City or Hoboken, and have been 100% reliable over the past 3 years since I've started using them. When I call from my apartment phone, the dispatchers have my number memorized and send a car as soon as they see my number. They have very good drivers as well.
Posted on: 2007/11/10 17:48
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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I like calling for car service.
We always use budget taxi when we go to the airport. By now we know the price, but they can tell you ahead of time. Service is quick and the cars are always nice. Once, they sent us a limo (i guess they had no other cars) and it still cost regular price.
Posted on: 2007/11/10 17:18
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Quite a regular
 
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I never ask the price. I give them 9 or 10 bucks every time (10 if they got me home quick...9 if we had to search for drunk people's homes)...I don't know why we "ask" what the price is...I guess once the price is established by the first few cabbies (for me 8 bucks)...then I don't ask anymore. And if someone tries to scam you by bringing the price up to 14 or whatever - I would just explain to them that you know what the price is, it's not 14, hand them the correct amount and leave.
Posted on: 2007/11/10 16:07
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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What gets me about Hoboken is how the cabbies decide if they'll take you when they have others in their cab. I've had four say no and I'm waiting anyways (so much for it being faster when they take a lot of people). I get visions of high school being the last to be picked for dodgeball all over again.
I've also had cabs honk at me to walk over to them as they are making their way up the cab line - and I mean cab after cab honking for me to come over to their window so I can give my desitination with my head in their window. I got so tired of begging in to Hoboken cab windows. And to get to Jersey City from Hoboken is whatever the cab driver wants to charge you from $8 to $14 for the same destination, and that's with other people in the cab. Seriously, I'm not interested in hoping the cab will say yes to my destination at 1 am in the morning when I'm trying to find a safe alternative home.
Posted on: 2007/11/6 10:58
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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What gets me about Hoboken is how the cabbies decide if they'll take you when they have others in their cab. I've had four say no and I'm waiting anyways (so much for it being faster when they take a lot of people). I've also had cabs honk at me to walk over to them as they are making their way up the cab line - and I mean cab after cab honking to come over to their window so I can give my desitination in to their window. I got so tired of begging in to Hoboken cab windows. And to get to Jersey City from Hoboken is whatever the cab driver wants to charge you from $8 to $14 for the same destination, and that's with other people in the cab going to separate place. Seriously, I'm not interested in hoping the cab will say yes to my destination at 1 am in the morning when I'm trying to find a safe alternative home.
Posted on: 2007/11/6 10:55
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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and all I'm saying - and then I promise to let this go - is that if spending 10 fewer minutes in your very own taxi means waiting on line for an extra half hour, and paying more for the privilige, what have you gained? a Pyrrhic victory.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 20:17
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Quite a regular
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now that's community spirit! by JCbiscuit on 2007/11/1 15:25:22 sorry, don't mean to lose the community spirit of transit...but when I'm coming home from work or wherever -I really just want to get home...I don't think many people want to be bothered with sharing a cab with three other people. but maybe I'm wrong. maybe many people rejoice in the fact that they can spiritize with others as they ride on home. I don't WISH for an increase on the hobs or for anyone...nor do I wish for increased wait times. just sayin that it may be a consequence we will pay in order to get the cabs regulated.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 19:53
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
 
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they listen to me because i 'll start screaming and yelling if they don't. ... jk .. i've really never had a problem telling them that i don't want to share.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 19:27
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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now that's community spirit!
LoveJC wrote: "if that increases wait time and raises prices on the hobs peeps, then go for it."
Posted on: 2007/11/1 19:25
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
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Doesn't the City of Hoboken regulate the price within City limits?
Posted on: 2007/11/1 19:00
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Quite a regular
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All I know, is the current system doesn't work for ME...so I found an alternative.
They do need to regulate cabs in Hob and JC, though. if that increases wait time and raises prices on the hobs peeps, then go for it.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 18:36
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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a trip from the Hoboken Path to anywhere (in Hoboken) is $4. do you think it would stay that cheap if they switched to a one-person system? do you think they would add more cabs, or just make everybody wait 3x longer for an available ride?
Posted on: 2007/11/1 18:29
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Quite a regular
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Thanks, Astrazombie - that's a really good tip - do the cabbies actually do it for you most times, though? They probably wouldn't listen to me, cuz I "seem" sweet and innocent. they'd just say "yeah" and then do whatever they want...
Posted on: 2007/11/1 18:21
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
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omg that's my favorite. cab full of people lost and sh*tfaced. I learned that trick too. i usually passs them and then get in and tell them that i can't wait for other people's stops so either drop me off first (in the heights) or i'll get in another cab.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 18:17
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Quite a regular
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exactly - it is not cheaper in Hoboken...same price...it became a usual occurence that I would be crammed into the backseat of a cab with two drunk Hobokenites pretending they were 21 and in a frat. (their drunk friend would be in the front seat)...one time this guy almost threw up in my lap (but thank God he made it outside). They usually try to fight with the cabbie - and one guy even tried to fight verbally with me, because I wouldn't respond to his slurred advances.
plus, and here's the worst part of sharing a cab. the usual 10 min cab ride to my place in the heights would be 25 min because we had to find all the other peoples' homes (in Hoboken) first...they found it hard to figure out where they lived after so many drinks. so, no, the ride share thing is not cool. Good thing I work earlier hours now and it's safe for me to take the lightrail home. but whatever - I'm sure the clients are drastically different in daylight. if you've gotta do the rideshare - pass up all cabs until you get one with an open front seat. oh, another word to the heightsters - so you don't have to keep saying "heights?" and the cabbies reply "no"...walk past all the cabs with people...get into the first cab with no people (front seat) and say nothing until you are seated with door closed. (they hate going to the heights - so this helps)
Posted on: 2007/11/1 18:06
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
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how is it cheaper? you have to pay the same amount for anywhere in hoboken regardless of sharing the cab or not
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Posted on: 2007/11/1 17:55
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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I like Hoboken's cab share system. It's cheaper, environmentally-friendly, and makes the line move 3x faster.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 17:52
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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They should move the taxi line to the other side of Columbus. It seems more organized there and a longer stretch to queue.
Also, I would guess this would point people in the direction most are heading in a cab, away from the water. The corner that they are at now is horrible with people double parking for shops and ppl picking others up.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:40
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
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Hoboken's cabs are ridiculous too! they make you share a cab with 3 other people even though the sign that you pick the cab up at clearly states "1 fare per cab"
Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:39
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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Have you also noticed that later at night at the Grove Street PATH there are NO cabs? And no logical signs stating where to line up. I literally had to fight for my cab and lost the other night because they felt it was there's when they just didn't realize where the cab line started (made up by me, lol).
I've also been in cabs where I haven't felt safe. It's hard being a woman in this area trying to get home in the evenings - I wish they had a more organized system in JC like they now do in Hoboken. I feel JC hasn't caught up with the times.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:33
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
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If you call for cab service in JC (using JC cab companies), many of them don't have meters.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:32
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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I've never seen a JC cab without a meter. And if they don't turn it on when you get in, just say "please run the meter or I'm not paying for this ride". That's never failed for me. These days I usually don't bother. I know what my ride costs, and that's what I pay when I get out, and the driver never makes a scene.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:24
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Not too shy to talk
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Quote:
Even the dispatchers seem to pick numbers out of a hat. One night I'll get charged $7 and the next it'll be $11 from the same company. And I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to share a cab with someone when I grab a cab from the stand. I'll go to the back of the line and start yelling at people until the cab takes me home.
Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:19
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Re: Taxicab meters
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Home away from home
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Are there set fines for drivers who get caught with the meter off? Can riders just catch them on hidden tape and turn them in somehow?
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Posted on: 2007/11/1 15:03
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